Job 23

Job replies to Eliphaz ^{▼▼23:0 In chapter 23, Job says that he wants to find God. God seems to be very far away. But God sees everything that Job does. Job knows that. And Job has tried to obey God and to live in the right way. But still he is afraid of God.} ^{▼▼23:0 In chapter 24, Job speaks about the bad things that happen in the world. He does not understand why God does not punish bad people. And then he remembers that bad people, like everyone else, die in the end.}

1 Then Job replied. And this is what he said.

2 ‘I am still angry because of the things that God has done.

He was cruel to me even when I asked him to help me.

3 I wish that I knew where to find him.

I would like to go to the place where he lives.

4 I would explain to him that I have not done any wrong things.

I would say many things to him.

5 I would want to know how he would reply to me.

I would try to understand all the things that he would say to me.

6 God is much stronger than I am.

But he would be fair and he would listen to me.

7 People may obey him and may live the right way.

He will listen to such people.

If I have lived like that, he will listen to me.

And he will agree that I have not done wrong things.

8 But if I go to the east, God is not there.

And if I go to the west, I cannot find him there either.

9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him.

And when he goes to the south, I still cannot find him.

10 But he watches where I go. And he knows the things that I do.

Many bad things have happened in my life.

But he will check the way that I have lived.

Then he will see that I am a good man.

I will be like gold that has been in a fire.

People see that it really is gold.

11 I have always lived in the way that he would have wanted.

I have never done things for my own pleasure.

12 I always do the things that God tells me to do. The things that he says are very important.

They are more important than the food that I eat each day.

13 I may want God to change the things that he has decided to do.

But he will not change them. Whatever he wants to do, he does.

14 He will do to me the things that he has decided to do.

And there are many things that he wants to do to me.

15 When he is near me, I am afraid.

And when I think about all this, I am afraid of him.

16 God has frightened me.

The Almighty has caused me to be afraid.

17 So many bad things have happened to me that it seems to be dark all round me.

Everything may be dark. But I will still want to speak about all these things.’